the search for my next digital camera...

i've been without a 'real' digital camera (being one thats not a cell phone 2mp or my temp 4mp used sony) since about January of this year.  I originally had my DSC T9 that i loved and kept for almost 2 years.  however a fateful jump into the ocean in mexico combined w/my ass smashing the sport watercase = me looking for a new camera.

in the past, one of the main selling points of a camera for me was compact designs and fast startup/shooting times (for those random party moments, occasions).  however lately my needs are more video related w/camera features coming in second.  so the search begins!



my main feature i am looking for in my search is a good digital camera that  can record HD video (1280x720, 30fps) and also take good pictures. 

my HD video recording requirement really shrunk my choices immediately down. it seems that the main manufacterers that offer hd video recording in a non-DSLR camera are Panasonic, Canon and Kodak.  Sadly, Sony still only offers the 640x480, 30fps (if using a ms duo pro card) video recording; which has been the same resolution now for the last 3 years.

however, i'm a little leary on kodak cameras for my needs and experience; too much noise.  the Kodak M1033 does have a nice design and seems to be priced nicely, but the past image quality issues w/kodak digitals worries me.

the same i've read is true w/the panasonic lumix series (tz5 ) too.  good hd video but not so good image quality for the photos.

the canon powershot tx1 and tx2 look cool but the price and form factor is not to my liking.  the Leica D-LUX 3 is a bit too pricey for what i want too and i am not too fond of the style; too gaudy for my taste (i said gaudy). 

so.. i realized something.  now is NOT a good time to buy a digital camera that can record HD video.  sadly, most camera makers have not stepped up their models to the new HD-era and still are not offering the higher rez.   Yes, most will argue you can get an HD video recorder but those don't take good pictures. :P  a nasty circle indeed!

what do i do?

i bought a Sony Ericsson K850i  instead.  

i get a better camera than i have now, K850i has a 5mp w/stabilizer vs my 4mp w/no stabilizer or anything, and a phone w/3G once tmo gets their 3G act together (if ever, haha) and a media player to replace my now sold Zune.  then i can use my W580i as my bt tethering phone for my other sim card.

btw, expect to see another vid of OSX on my DV6700t running XP in VMware fusion.

whoa! brain implosion from the thought of a windows laptop running OS X which in turn is running Windows XP. :P